A Father Hit by a Drunk Driver Still Calls Himself an Everyday Joe

The story

On December 3, 1976, Jerry was hit by a drunk driver. He was left a partial paraplegic. He was also, in his own words, a healthy everyday Joe who wanted a normal life: a house, kids, work, sports.

He became a computer programmer. He raised four children who still looked to him as an adult. He coached. He found recreation that fit his body: golf, fishing, even snow skiing when the chance appeared. He did not pretend the barriers were gone. He named them and kept living around them.

What happened next

The CDC published his story as a reminder that a disability can sit beside a full life. Jerry said there were things he could do and things he could not. That sentence is quieter than a slogan and more useful.

A lesson you can use this week

Stop waiting to feel “fully restored” before you claim your roles. Parent, coworker, neighbor, teammate. Keep the roles that still fit and adapt the ones that do not.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Stories from People Living with a Disability,” cdc.gov/disability-and-health/stories.